Nat Turner's Rebellion: Moral?

[ajac]

Was Nat Turner’s Rebellion moral from a Catholic moral philosophical standpoint? Furthermore, was it heroic?

 

[Hodos]

Nope. It surely wasn’t on either point.

 

[Wesrock]

Let’s look at the Just War Doctrine.

https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/just_war.htm

In this regard Just War doctrine gives certain conditions for the legitimate exercise of force, all of which must be met:

• "1. the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
• 1. all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
• 1. there must be serious prospects of success;
• 1. the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition" [ CCC 2309].
• The responsibility for determining whether these conditions are met belongs to “the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.”

…

The Church greatly respects those who have dedicated their lives to the defense of their nation. “If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace. [Cf. Gaudium et spes 79, 5]” However, she cautions combatants that not everything is licit in war. Actions which are forbidden, and which constitute morally unlawful orders that may not be followed, include:

• • attacks against, and mistreatment of, non-combatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners;
• • genocide, whether of a people, nation or ethnic minorities;
• • indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants.

1 and 2 were probably met. 3 and 4 may have been arguable to those who were rebelling under oppression. Perhaps they thought it could truly spark and effect real change. However, we still seem to have issues with the treatment of non-combatants. That said, this does happen in any war, and the woman may have been seen as cruel oppressors as well.

Anyway, I don’t think it’s entirely black and white, even if the answer is that it was not a just rebellion. I don’t know that any war or rebellion has ever lived up to the standards of the Just War Doctrine.

 

[BornInMarch]

Over the course of his rebellion, Nat Turner and his followers murdered women and children. That bares repeating: Nat Turner killed children.

 

[pnewton]

No. He killed innocents. I think the argument might be made that the section of just war doctrine that requires a reasonable chance of success might not apply though, as that part of the Just War doctrine was not yet defined, and what is or is not considered a reasonable chance is subject to interpretation.

I do not think anyone here is in a position to understand what he went through and what it was like for him.